1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to vehicle controllers and more particularly to vehicle lighting systems.
2. Discussion
Safe operation of a vehicle is inextricably linked with the proper functioning of a vehicle's headlamps. Not only are functioning headlamps a necessity for night-time driving of a vehicle, but certain countries (such as Canada) require the headlamps to be used during the daytime as well.
Lighting filaments within a vehicle's headlamps typically have an approximate life expectancy of 2000 hours. Since the low beam filaments are typically used more often than the high beam filaments, the low beam filaments invariably and without much warning fail sooner than the high beam lighting filaments. This situation leaves the vehicle's driver with few options but to operate the vehicle at high beams at night until the headlamps are fixed at some future date.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a vehicle lighting control system that would be able to overcome these disadvantages as well as other disadvantages that occur in vehicle lighting systems. Furthermore, there is a need to provide a vehicle lighting control system that would accommodate, without the need for special and/or additional components, a daytime running lamp (DRL) system that is adaptable to the various vehicle build configurations.